But I See Your Eyes and Go Again Gif

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

New York

Ed Sullivan Theater

QUESTION:  Ladies and gentlemen, my guest tonight has worked in authorities for about 30 years and currently serves as our 71st Secretary of Land.  Please welcome Secretary Antony Blinken.  (Applause.)

Thank you for being here.  I don't accept this lightly.  You don't get a secretary of country on a late-nighttime show every 24-hour interval.  (Cheers.)  Have you done many of these?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  This is the first one.

QUESTION:  This is the first one?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  It is.

QUESTION:  You're going to love it.  (Laughter.)

Now, I want to talk to y'all a piddling bit later about basically the State Department in general.  I recollect people misunderstand its mission often and how of import it is.  But the commencement thing I want to talk to you about is that you're the near informed person right at present I could talk to nearly what'due south going on in the war in Ukraine.  And – but before I ask you my questions, what would y'all like people to know about what the land of that conflict is right now?

Secretary BLINKEN:  Stephen, this is day 82 of what was an unprovoked, unjustified aggression by Russia against Ukraine.  And I remember what the earth already knows is we've seen the remarkable backbone, resiliency of the Ukrainian people.  Overmatched – (thank you).

QUESTION:  Everyone said 3 or four days and information technology would be over.  Everyone thought it would be over in three or four days.

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  There was a lot of expectation that that might happen.  But because of their courage, because of their resilience, just likewise because of the assist that we've been able to provide them with dozens of other countries, they've non merely held their footing, they've been pushing the Russians dorsum.  They won the battle for Kyiv.

Now, there is an intense fight going on in eastern and southern Ukraine.  And the other thing is the country has been terribly brutalized by this Russian aggression.  We had that – the town of Bucha about Kyiv.  The Russians moved out.  When that tide receded, nosotros saw what was left in its wake, and I'chiliad afraid that as that happens in other parts of Ukraine, nosotros'll see it.

Just the most important thing is this:  82 days in, the Ukrainians are standing upwards for their liberty.  They're standing up for their sovereignty.  They have so much of the globe with them.  And here'south what I can tell you:  What Vladimir Putin was trying to practise was to take abroad their independence, their sovereignty.  In his mind, Ukraine is not an independent country; information technology needs to be subsumed into Russia.  That's what this is about.

And what I recall we can say with a lot of certainty and conviction is that a sovereign, independent Ukraine is going to exist effectually a lot longer than Vladimir Putin is on the scene.  (Thank you.)

QUESTION:  Now, you were 1 of the first people to actually cursory Zelenskyy before the war ever started about the likelihood of this invasion.  You were starting time to warn the public on behalf of the administration of what might exist going over there.  You're now leading the U.S. efforts to take a articulation response from NATO countries and set up the tone for the unabridged world.  All of that seems similar the correct thing to practice.

One thing that worries me, however right I think the fight for the Ukrainians is, is that:  Is there a chance that this could tip over to a hot war with Russia?  Because certainly, Putin and all of his – the people in his circle have said they consider this a hot war with the West, whether or not we want to call it that.  So how practise yous brand certain that that doesn't happen?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  Stephen, the President's been very clear about this, almost what this is and what information technology isn't.  And what it isn't is it isn't a war with Russia.  This is the Us —

QUESTION:  Not a proxy state of war.

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  And it'south non a proxy war.  It'southward nearly us giving the Ukrainians the help that they need to defend themselves, to stop the assailment, to hold onto their freedom, to agree onto their sovereignty.  That'southward what we're doing.  And we're too putting force per unit area on Russia to endeavour to get it to finish the aggression.  We have sanctions that we've been leading with dozens of other countries that are making life pretty difficult for the Russians.  More than 800 companies, big – the biggest brand names in the world – take left Russia because they don't desire the reputational toll of doing business there given this aggression.  That'due south having a existent touch.  (Applause.)

QUESTION:  Now, nosotros see reports about the autumn of Mariupol, and the Ukrainians fighters put upwards a fierce resistance there.  Now that that city – is that accurate, that Mariupol has fallen to the Russians?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  The Russians have taken Mariupol.  It is —

QUESTION:  What does that mean to the Russian efforts now?

Secretary BLINKEN:  The fight at present is – after the Russians got pushed back from Kyiv and around Kyiv and from northern Ukraine and parts of western Ukraine, this has moved all the way due east and all the way south, pretty near Russian federation itself.  And that's what they're – that's what they're fighting over.

And again, equally I said, what'due south and then heartbreaking about this is when the world actually sees what's happened in Mariupol, which information technology will i 24-hour interval, I'm agape the pictures that we've seen coming out of Bucha a few – a couple months ago are going to exist cypher by comparison.

And so this is why I think people – and the American people have been incredibly generous, considering – through Congress – then much support given to the Ukrainians, because I recollect it is touching people's hearts.  They're seeing a big country aggress a pocket-size one.  They're seeing i country try to change the borders of another by force.  They're seeing one land endeavor to say to another country: nosotros're going to decide what your time to come'southward going to exist, not y'all.  And nosotros tin't have a world that works that way.

QUESTION:  And at that place's a bipartisan response, which is —

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  This has been remarkable.

QUESTION:  Is unusual these days.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well —

QUESTION:  Anything that anyone can concur on.

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  It's been remarkable.  (Adulation.)

QUESTION:  Function of Putin's motivation for the war – every bit I see in the reporting that function of Putin'south motivation for the war is to weaken NATO.  At present, this was Mon and so Tuesday, Finland and then Sweden —

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  That's right.

QUESTION:  — signed the applications.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  That's correct.

QUESTION:  Is Putin himself the greatest advert for NATO in a generation?  (Laughter.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  If I was going to take a affiche for – well.  (Laughter.)  What's remarkable is when you look at this, Stephen, President Putin has managed to precipitate everything he sought to prevent.  He wanted to prevent NATO from getting bigger with Ukraine.  Now it actually is with Finland and with Sweden.  He wanted to split the West, divide the Brotherhood.  Information technology's more united than it's e'er been.  And as I said, he wanted to subjugate Ukraine, make information technology office of Russian federation.  That is non going to happen.  And so everything we're seeing is Putin achieving the exact opposite of what he says he wants.

QUESTION:  Now, my buddy Pope Francis – (laughter) – has said that NATO takes some blame for this by basically stressing out Russia by expanding east up against Russian federation's borders.  Do you think he's got a case?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  So NATO —

QUESTION:  I mean, he'southward the Pope.  He's the Pope.  (Laughter.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  And I have not bad reverence for him.  I had the – now, he told me that yous were very shut when I saw him.

QUESTION:  Thanks.  (Laughter.)

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  I accept great reverence for him, but permit me say this.  NATO is a defensive Alliance, countries coming together to brand sure that if one of them was attacked all the others would come up in and defend that country.  That's what information technology'south about.  It has no ambitious intent against Russian federation.  It's never attacked Russia; it won't assail Russian federation.  It doesn't intend to assail Russian federation.

QUESTION:  I've got a crazy thought.  Invite Russia to be part of NATO.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well —

QUESTION:  And so what'south he got to be worried near?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  Yous know what?  Back in the 1990s that was actually something that people talked almost.

QUESTION:And?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN: Well, the Russians decided that wasn't what they wanted to do.  (Laughter.)

QUESTION:  Okay.  Nosotros accept to take a quick break, but when we come back I volition ask the Secretary about what Zelenskyy is like in person.  Stick around.

(Intermission.)

QUESTION:  Hey, everybody.  Nosotros're dorsum here with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.  You've met Zelenskyy.  Subsequently speaking to him many times, I assume, as Secretary of Land, y'all went over there and visited with him over in Kyiv.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  I did.

QUESTION:  What's he like?  He seems very impressive as a leader from a distance, just we know he was an actor and a comedian so he could just be interim impressive.  (Laughter.)  But what's he like in person?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  I've got to say, Stephen, he is – he is quite literally the embodiment of the backbone of the Ukrainian people.  Because this is a guy who, when the bombs started coming in, the missiles started flying, he could have left town.  He could have gotten out of Kyiv.  He didn't; he stayed.  He led his people.  And that's both incredible personal courage, but it's likewise because I think he felt that he had to represent Ukrainians, he had to stand up for the land's freedom and independence.

So he's actually inspired people all around the globe.  And I've had the occasion to meet him – run across with him half a dozen times.  Before the war, when we had this information that Russia was likely to practise this, I had to tell him.  We were at the COP26, the climate meetings, and I saturday with him and shared the information.  Telling someone that Russia may be about to invade your country is definitely an heart-opener, but he has proven to be remarkably resilient.

And of course, he's also, I think, made a powerful fashion argument out of the green t-shirt.  (Laughter.)

And so when we visited – (adulation).  When we visited, I went with Secretarial assistant of Defense Lloyd Austin.  And if you're going to go into a conflict zone with anyone, you want to go in with Lloyd Austin.

QUESTION:  Considering you tin stand behind him.  He's a huge homo.

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  Yep, exactly.  He'southward a big guy.  And we went and we had a remarkable three hours with President Zelenskyy, with his squad.  We went in on this train that took about 12 hours to become from the Shine border into Kyiv.  And really, Kyiv itself looks, at present at least, remarkably normal – people on the streets going to coffee shops, et cetera.  At present, that doesn't end the Russians from even so firing missiles that hit Kyiv, but the metropolis has come back to life.

QUESTION:  I understand that the embassy is going to reopen there.

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  The embassy – the flag went up today.  Embassy —

QUESTION:  The American flag.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  American flag.  (Applause.)

QUESTION:  What does that mean?  What'south the significance – well, 2 things.  What is the – and this volition get u.s. into what I want to talk to you virtually the State Department.  What is the significance of an embassy having to be evacuated and that moment of return?  What's the significance of both those events?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  My showtime responsibility in this job equally Secretary is to expect out for the well-beingness of the men and women of the Country Department.  I've got to accept their security uppermost in mind.  So when the set on was coming, nosotros had to make a really hard conclusion to suspend our operations and to get folks out of harm's style.  Allow me tell you this:  They didn't desire to go.  But nosotros moved them to Poland.

They took the flag that was flying over the diplomatic mission that day with them, and that is the same flag that'southward at present flying over the embassy over again in Kyiv today.  (Applause.)

QUESTION:  Nosotros take to take a petty break.  We'll be right dorsum with Secretarial assistant Antony Blinken, everybody.  (Applause.)

(Break.)

QUESTION:  Hey, everybody.  We're back here with Secretarial assistant of State Antony Blinken.  We're talking about a state of war, and we talked earlier near, like, the munitions that might go over and the tactical and intelligence assist the The states may give.  But the State Department is not the Department of Defence force; information technology'south not the Department of State of war.  Richard Holbrooke called it the section of peace.  And General Mattis said, "If yous don't fund the Land Section fully, and so I need to buy more than armament."

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  That's right.

QUESTION:  What do people not sympathize about the mission of the State Section?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, yous've got it exactly right.  Our job is to try to prevent war; if we neglect at that, to attempt to brand peace; and if we fail at that, to make sure that our diplomacy is doing everything it can wherever necessary non but to brand life amend for people around the globe, simply as well to make life meliorate for our own people, for the American people.  Because everything that we're trying to do is to attempt to make the world just a fiddling bit safer, a little flake more prosperous, a little bit healthier, a picayune bit wiser, a little bit more tolerant, and that's going to benefit us.

QUESTION:  What's the state of the Country Department correct now?  We simply have a minute here.  I'm just very curious.  Information technology was sort of famously reported as being sort of denuded during the previous administration, that people who were leaving were not being replaced, that the halls were empty.  Is the State Department being restaffed?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, President Biden said early on, every bit we started to move around the world once again, America's back.  And I can tell you lot this:  The State Department'southward back.  We have – our men and women throughout the earth – (applause) – even as nosotros're relentlessly focused – relentlessly focused on Ukraine and on helping the Ukrainian people, we're doing a lot of other things also.

We've gotten a truce in Ethiopia so that humanitarian assistance can become to people upwardly in Tigray.  (Applause.)  We got a truce in Yemen afterwards eight years of war and then that in that location'due south a take chances at a lasting peace.  We've helped get at present more than than 500 million COVID vaccine shots to people around the world, on our manner to 1.2 billion shots the United States is giving abroad free, no strings fastened, and so that we can get ahead of COVID effectually the globe.  That's the work we do every day.

And hither'due south the matter, Stephen.  What we know is this:  If the United states is non engaged, if we are not trying to pb, then one of ii things.  Either someone else is – mayhap information technology's China, and that might not go forward in a way that reflects our interests and our values – or no ane is, and that unremarkably leaves a vacuum that's filled past bad things before it's filled by adept things.  And so that's why it'due south then important that we engage, that we lead, and we're leading with affairs.  That'southward what President Biden said he wanted.  That's why the State Section is front and centre.  That'southward what we exercise.  We're leading with diplomacy, we're leading for America, and we're trying to make things a niggling bit better around the earth.  (Applause.)

QUESTION:  Well, thank you so much for being here.  As important as that work is that you simply described, I think perhaps you'll exist – you'll all-time be remembered as the lead guitarist for the band Ablinken.  (Laughter.)  And this is an actual photo.  We did not mock this up.  (Applause.)  Tell me about your band.  What do you go out of information technology and where are you guys gigging adjacent?  (Laughter.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Stephen, I long wanted to be a musician.  As a kid, every bit a teenager, that'southward what I wanted to do, and I run across some real musicians over there.  (Laughter and applause.)  At that place was just ane – one missing ingredient.

QUESTION:  Yes.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Talent.  (Laughter.)  Merely information technology has been a abiding thread in my life, and so I've been in a bunch of "bands," in quotation marks.  Coalition of the Willing.

QUESTION:  Oh, sure, with András Simonyi, yeah, (inaudible), yes.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  With – aye, that'southward right, among others.  Large Tiffin.

QUESTION:  Don't know that one.  (Laughter.)  That's on me.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Proper noun because we kind of make you feel the way you exercise after yous've had a big luncheon.  (Laughter.)  A little bit drowsy.

QUESTION:  Logy.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Exactly.

QUESTION:  A petty logy.  Okay, certain.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  A little – exactly.

QUESTION:  Logy dance band, yeah.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  And what we found – at least what I've found in my experience is that the best audience we have tends to be very immature children who oasis't adult critical faculties.  (Laughter.)  That —

QUESTION:  Well, merely in case there are any of them watching correct now, as we get out, would you care – exercise you guys have a guitar that the Secretary might be able to use?  (Applause.)

Secretary BLINKEN:  (Inaudible.)

QUESTION:  Secretary Blinken, thank you lot so much.  Antony Blinken, everybody.  Nosotros'll be right back with a operation by Twice.  (Applause.)  Please, sir.  Won't you, please.

QUESTION:  Ladies and gentlemen, my guest this night has worked in government for nearly xxx years and currently serves as our 71st Secretary of State.  Please welcome Secretary Antony Blinken.  (Applause.)

Thank you for being here.  I don't take this lightly.  You don't get a secretary of state on a late-night show every day.  (Thank you.)  Have you washed many of these?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  This is the first one.

QUESTION:  This is the first ane?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  It is.

QUESTION:  You're going to beloved it.  (Laughter.)

Now, I want to talk to you a piffling bit later nearly basically the State Department in general.  I think people misunderstand its mission often and how important it is.  Just the first matter I want to talk to you about is that you're the well-nigh informed person right now I could talk to about what'due south going on in the state of war in Ukraine.  And – but earlier I ask you my questions, what would you lot like people to know about what the country of that conflict is correct now?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  Stephen, this is day 82 of what was an unprovoked, unjustified aggression by Russia against Ukraine.  And I retrieve what the earth already knows is we've seen the remarkable courage, resiliency of the Ukrainian people.  Overmatched – (cheers).

QUESTION:  Everyone said three or four days and it would be over.  Everyone thought information technology would be over in three or iv days.

Secretary BLINKEN:  In that location was a lot of expectation that that might happen.  But because of their courage, considering of their resilience, merely as well considering of the assistance that we've been able to provide them with dozens of other countries, they've not merely held their ground, they've been pushing the Russians back.  They won the battle for Kyiv.

At present, at that place is an intense fight going on in eastern and southern Ukraine.  And the other affair is the country has been terribly brutalized by this Russian aggression.  We had that – the boondocks of Bucha nigh Kyiv.  The Russians moved out.  When that tide receded, nosotros saw what was left in its wake, and I'm agape that as that happens in other parts of Ukraine, we'll come across it.

But the most important affair is this:  82 days in, the Ukrainians are standing up for their freedom.  They're standing upwards for their sovereignty.  They have then much of the world with them.  And here's what I can tell you:  What Vladimir Putin was trying to do was to take away their independence, their sovereignty.  In his listen, Ukraine is non an contained country; it needs to exist subsumed into Russian federation.  That's what this is about.

And what I think we can say with a lot of certainty and confidence is that a sovereign, independent Ukraine is going to be around a lot longer than Vladimir Putin is on the scene.  (Cheers.)

QUESTION:  Now, you were one of the first people to actually brief Zelenskyy before the war ever started virtually the likelihood of this invasion.  You were get-go to warn the public on behalf of the administration of what might be going over there.  You're at present leading the U.S. efforts to have a joint response from NATO countries and set the tone for the entire world.  All of that seems similar the right thing to do.

One matter that worries me, however right I think the fight for the Ukrainians is, is that:  Is there a chance that this could tip over to a hot war with Russia?  Because certainly, Putin and all of his – the people in his circle have said they consider this a hot war with the West, whether or not nosotros want to call it that.  So how do you make sure that that doesn't happen?

Secretary BLINKEN:  Stephen, the President's been very articulate about this, about what this is and what it isn't.  And what it isn't is it isn't a war with Russia.  This is the Us —

QUESTION:  Not a proxy state of war.

Secretary BLINKEN:  And it'due south not a proxy state of war.  It'south near u.s.a. giving the Ukrainians the help that they demand to defend themselves, to stop the aggression, to agree onto their freedom, to hold onto their sovereignty.  That'due south what we're doing.  And nosotros're also putting pressure on Russia to endeavour to go it to stop the assailment.  We accept sanctions that nosotros've been leading with dozens of other countries that are making life pretty difficult for the Russians.  More than than 800 companies, big – the biggest brand names in the world – have left Russian federation considering they don't desire the reputational cost of doing business there given this aggression.  That's having a real impact.  (Applause.)

QUESTION:  Now, we run across reports about the fall of Mariupol, and the Ukrainians fighters put up a fierce resistance in that location.  Now that that urban center – is that accurate, that Mariupol has fallen to the Russians?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  The Russians have taken Mariupol.  It is —

QUESTION:  What does that mean to the Russian efforts now?

Secretary BLINKEN:  The fight now is – after the Russians got pushed dorsum from Kyiv and around Kyiv and from northern Ukraine and parts of western Ukraine, this has moved all the way east and all the way south, pretty near Russia itself.  And that's what they're – that's what they're fighting over.

And again, every bit I said, what'due south and so heartbreaking about this is when the world really sees what's happened in Mariupol, which it volition one day, I'm agape the pictures that we've seen coming out of Bucha a few – a couple months agone are going to exist nothing past comparison.

Then this is why I think people – and the American people have been incredibly generous, considering – through Congress – and then much support given to the Ukrainians, because I think it is touching people's hearts.  They're seeing a big country aggress a small one.  They're seeing 1 country endeavour to change the borders of some other by force.  They're seeing one country try to say to another country: we're going to determine what your future's going to exist, non y'all.  And we can't accept a globe that works that style.

QUESTION:  And there's a bipartisan response, which is —

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  This has been remarkable.

QUESTION:  Is unusual these days.

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  Well —

QUESTION:  Annihilation that anyone can agree on.

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  It's been remarkable.  (Applause.)

QUESTION:  Role of Putin's motivation for the war – equally I see in the reporting that part of Putin'south motivation for the war is to weaken NATO.  Now, this was Monday and then Tuesday, Finland and so Sweden —

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  That's right.

QUESTION:  — signed the applications.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  That's correct.

QUESTION:  Is Putin himself the greatest advertisement for NATO in a generation?  (Laughter.)

Secretary BLINKEN:  If I was going to have a poster for – well.  (Laughter.)  What's remarkable is when you look at this, Stephen, President Putin has managed to precipitate everything he sought to preclude.  He wanted to prevent NATO from getting bigger with Ukraine.  Now it actually is with Republic of finland and with Sweden.  He wanted to divide the W, divide the Alliance.  It'due south more than united than it's ever been.  And as I said, he wanted to subjugate Ukraine, make it part of Russia.  That is not going to happen.  Then everything we're seeing is Putin achieving the verbal contrary of what he says he wants.

QUESTION:  Now, my buddy Pope Francis – (laughter) – has said that NATO takes some blame for this past basically stressing out Russia by expanding east upward confronting Russian federation'southward borders.  Do you call back he's got a case?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  So NATO —

QUESTION:  I mean, he's the Pope.  He's the Pope.  (Laughter.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  And I accept bully reverence for him.  I had the – now, he told me that you were very close when I saw him.

QUESTION:  Thank you.  (Laughter.)

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  I have great reverence for him, but let me say this.  NATO is a defensive Brotherhood, countries coming together to make certain that if i of them was attacked all the others would come in and defend that country.  That's what information technology'south about.  It has no aggressive intent against Russia.  It'southward never attacked Russia; information technology won't set on Russia.  It doesn't intend to attack Russian federation.

QUESTION:  I've got a crazy idea.  Invite Russia to be part of NATO.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well —

QUESTION:  And then what'southward he got to be worried about?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  Y'all know what?  Back in the 1990s that was actually something that people talked nigh.

QUESTION:And?

Secretary BLINKEN: Well, the Russians decided that wasn't what they wanted to exercise.  (Laughter.)

QUESTION:  Okay.  Nosotros accept to take a quick pause, only when nosotros come back I will inquire the Secretary about what Zelenskyy is like in person.  Stick around.

(Break.)

QUESTION:  Hey, everybody.  Nosotros're back hither with Secretary of Land Antony Blinken.  You've met Zelenskyy.  Afterward speaking to him many times, I assume, as Secretary of State, you went over there and visited with him over in Kyiv.

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  I did.

QUESTION:  What'southward he like?  He seems very impressive as a leader from a distance, but nosotros know he was an actor and a comedian so he could just be interim impressive.  (Laughter.)  But what'due south he like in person?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  I've got to say, Stephen, he is – he is quite literally the embodiment of the courage of the Ukrainian people.  Because this is a guy who, when the bombs started coming in, the missiles started flying, he could have left town.  He could have gotten out of Kyiv.  He didn't; he stayed.  He led his people.  And that'south both incredible personal courage, just it'due south also because I think he felt that he had to represent Ukrainians, he had to stand up upwards for the country's freedom and independence.

And so he's actually inspired people all around the world.  And I've had the occasion to meet him – run into with him half a dozen times.  Earlier the war, when nosotros had this information that Russian federation was likely to do this, I had to tell him.  We were at the COP26, the climate meetings, and I sat with him and shared the data.  Telling someone that Russia may be about to invade your country is definitely an eye-opener, but he has proven to be remarkably resilient.

And of course, he's too, I call up, made a powerful manner argument out of the green t-shirt.  (Laughter.)

And so when we visited – (applause).  When we visited, I went with Secretarial assistant of Defence Lloyd Austin.  And if y'all're going to go into a conflict zone with anyone, you want to go in with Lloyd Austin.

QUESTION:  Because y'all tin can stand backside him.  He's a huge human.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Yes, exactly.  He'south a big guy.  And nosotros went and we had a remarkable 3 hours with President Zelenskyy, with his squad.  We went in on this train that took about 12 hours to become from the Polish border into Kyiv.  And actually, Kyiv itself looks, now at to the lowest degree, remarkably normal – people on the streets going to java shops, et cetera.  Now, that doesn't stop the Russians from yet firing missiles that hit Kyiv, but the city has come back to life.

QUESTION:  I empathise that the diplomatic mission is going to reopen in that location.

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  The embassy – the flag went up today.  Embassy —

QUESTION:  The American flag.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  American flag.  (Applause.)

QUESTION:  What does that hateful?  What's the significance – well, 2 things.  What is the – and this will get u.s.a. into what I want to talk to you about the State Department.  What is the significance of an embassy having to exist evacuated and that moment of return?  What's the significance of both those events?

Secretarial assistant BLINKEN:  My offset responsibility in this task equally Secretary is to expect out for the well-being of the men and women of the Land Department.  I've got to have their security uppermost in mind.  So when the attack was coming, we had to make a really hard conclusion to append our operations and to become folks out of harm's way.  Let me tell you lot this:  They didn't want to get.  Merely nosotros moved them to Poland.

They took the flag that was flying over the embassy that day with them, and that is the same flag that's now flight over the embassy once again in Kyiv today.  (Applause.)

QUESTION:  Nosotros accept to take a little intermission.  We'll be right back with Secretary Antony Blinken, everybody.  (Adulation.)

(Interruption.)

QUESTION:  Hey, everybody.  We're dorsum hither with Secretary of Country Antony Blinken.  We're talking about a war, and we talked earlier about, similar, the munitions that might go over and the tactical and intelligence aid the United states of america may give.  But the Land Section is not the Department of Defense; it's non the Section of State of war.  Richard Holbrooke called it the department of peace.  And General Mattis said, "If you don't fund the Country Department fully, then I need to buy more than ammunition."

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  That'due south correct.

QUESTION:  What do people not understand almost the mission of the State Department?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, you've got it exactly right.  Our job is to try to prevent war; if nosotros neglect at that, to endeavour to make peace; and if we fail at that, to make sure that our affairs is doing everything information technology can wherever necessary not just to make life amend for people around the world, simply also to make life improve for our own people, for the American people.  Because everything that we're trying to exercise is to try to brand the world just a little bit safer, a piddling bit more prosperous, a footling bit healthier, a little bit wiser, a little chip more than tolerant, and that's going to benefit the states.

QUESTION:  What's the state of the State Department right now?  We just accept a minute here.  I'm just very curious.  Information technology was sort of famously reported as being sort of denuded during the previous administration, that people who were leaving were not being replaced, that the halls were empty.  Is the State Department being restaffed?

Secretary BLINKEN:  Well, President Biden said early on, as we started to move around the world again, America'southward dorsum.  And I can tell you this:  The State Department's back.  We accept – our men and women throughout the world – (adulation) – even equally we're relentlessly focused – relentlessly focused on Ukraine and on helping the Ukrainian people, we're doing a lot of other things too.

Nosotros've gotten a truce in Ethiopia then that humanitarian aid tin get to people up in Tigray.  (Applause.)  We got a truce in Yemen later eight years of war so that at that place's a run a risk at a lasting peace.  Nosotros've helped go now more than 500 one thousand thousand COVID vaccine shots to people around the world, on our fashion to 1.2 billion shots the United States is giving abroad complimentary, no strings attached, and then that we can get alee of COVID around the earth.  That's the work we practice every day.

And here's the thing, Stephen.  What we know is this:  If the United States is not engaged, if we are non trying to lead, then one of two things.  Either someone else is – maybe it'due south Prc, and that might not get forrard in a way that reflects our interests and our values – or no one is, and that commonly leaves a vacuum that'due south filled by bad things before information technology'due south filled by good things.  So that'southward why information technology'due south and so of import that we engage, that we lead, and we're leading with diplomacy.  That'southward what President Biden said he wanted.  That'southward why the State Department is front end and eye.  That'southward what we practice.  We're leading with diplomacy, nosotros're leading for America, and we're trying to make things a petty flake better around the world.  (Adulation.)

QUESTION:  Well, thank yous so much for beingness here.  As important as that piece of work is that you simply described, I think perhaps you lot'll be – you'll best exist remembered equally the pb guitarist for the band Ablinken.  (Laughter.)  And this is an actual photo.  We did not mock this up.  (Applause.)  Tell me about your band.  What exercise you become out of information technology and where are you lot guys gigging next?  (Laughter.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Stephen, I long wanted to be a musician.  As a kid, as a teenager, that's what I wanted to do, and I see some real musicians over at that place.  (Laughter and applause.)  At that place was simply ane – one missing ingredient.

QUESTION:  Yes.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Talent.  (Laughter.)  Just it has been a constant thread in my life, so I've been in a bunch of "bands," in quotation marks.  Coalition of the Willing.

QUESTION:  Oh, certain, with András Simonyi, yeah, (inaudible), yep.

Secretary BLINKEN:  With – yes, that's right, amidst others.  Large Lunch.

QUESTION:  Don't know that i.  (Laughter.)  That'due south on me.

Secretary BLINKEN:  Name because we kind of brand you feel the mode you practice after you lot've had a large lunch.  (Laughter.)  A little chip drowsy.

QUESTION:  Logy.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Exactly.

QUESTION:  A trivial logy.  Okay, sure.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  A footling – exactly.

QUESTION:  Logy dance band, yeah.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  And what nosotros plant – at to the lowest degree what I've constitute in my experience is that the best audience we have tends to be very immature children who haven't developed disquisitional faculties.  (Laughter.)  That —

QUESTION:  Well, just in instance at that place are whatsoever of them watching correct at present, as nosotros get out, would you care – do you guys have a guitar that the Secretary might exist able to apply?  (Applause.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  (Inaudible.)

QUESTION:  Secretarial assistant Blinken, thanks so much.  Antony Blinken, everybody.  We'll be right back with a functioning by Twice.  (Adulation.)  Please, sir.  Won't you, delight.

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Source: https://www.ourindia.com/index.php/2022/05/secretary-antony-j-blinken-with-stephen-colbert/